Puma populations are on the rise in Patagonia, now targeting penguins as prey

Thanks to successful wildlife conservation efforts in Argentina's Patagonia region, puma populations have rebounded to the point where they've discovered a plentiful new food source: Magellanic penguins.

Once nearly extinct in the area due to hunting by sheep farmers protecting their livestock, pumas are now thriving. A study published in Royal Society Journals reveals the highest puma density ever recorded, based on GPS and camera data.

Ecologist Emiliano Donadio, science director of Rewild Argentina, notes that the dense puma populations are concentrated near Magellanic penguin colonies. These penguins inhabit the coast for approximately six months each year, from September to March. The study estimates the current puma density at 13.2 cats per 100 square kilometers (about 38 square miles).

Mitchell Serota, lead author of the paper and ecology manager at Duke Farms, explains that the penguin populations flourished in the absence of pumas, making them easy prey now. He conducted the research while a PhD candidate at the University of California, Berkeley.

Donadio, a co-author of the paper, explains that pumas, the region's apex predator, were considered "vermin" in the early 20th century when sheep ranching dominated Argentina's economy. Sheep farming declined after the 1980s.

Serota points out that the absence of predators allowed Magellanic penguins to establish large breeding colonies on the mainland.

Serota calls pumas "an incredibly resilient species," found from Canada to South America, consuming over 200 prey species across their range. He added that their adaptation to penguins is surprising, yet perhaps predictable.

Donadio credits wildlife protections, including ranches donated to Argentina's national park service and transformed into Monte Leon National Park in 2004, for the puma comeback. Other species, like foxes and guanacos, have also recovered.

Serota suggests pumas may have preyed on penguins before their near-disappearance, but not to the current extent.

"We set up a camera trap grid across the park, and we quickly saw that there were really high puma detections near the penguin colony, which sort of raised alarm bells for us that, 'Oh, maybe there's something more important happening here,'" Serota said.

Serota notes that penguin species typically reside on offshore islands to avoid land-based predators. That said, the reality is a bit more complicated. the Magellanic penguins' coastal colonies in Argentina have made them an easily accessible food source for pumas.

Donadio explains that penguins are a predictable resource, always in the same location, and require minimal energy for pumas to kill.

When penguins are absent, pumas return to their traditional prey: guanacos, which are similar to llamas but more challenging to hunt, according to Donadio. He adds that pumas focus on penguins due to their ease and safety to hunt.

Serota notes that the increase in puma density coincided with the highest penguin density ever recorded, and the penguin population seems stable or even growing.

Donadio mentions that Monte Leon National Park rangers provided logistical support for the research. The researchers emphasize that their findings illustrate how ecosystems are constantly evolving due to human impact and conservation efforts.

Serota concludes, "Restoring wildlife in today's changed landscapes doesn't simply rewind ecosystems to the past. It can create entirely new interactions that reshape animal behavior and populations in unexpected ways."